英语定语从句的结构和用法

英语定语从句的结构和用法

一．概念（定义、位置、译法）
关于定语从句的概念，要掌握其定义、位置和译法等。
㈠定义 在复合句中，用来修饰名词或代词的从句叫定语从句。
㈡位置 被定语从句所修饰的名词或代词叫先行词。定语从句一般放于所修饰的先行词
之后。即 … 先行词 + 定语从句 …。
㈢译法 含有定语从句的英语句子，译成汉语时大多把定语从句译为“……的”放于所
修饰的名词或代词之前，融汇于整个复合句中；但在一些非正式的说法中也可
以把定语从句单独 译成一句话，尤其是见于非限制性定语从句。例如：
1）This is the black pen that he likes very much.
可译为：这就是他非常喜欢的那支黑色钢笔。
或译为：这就是那支黑色钢笔，他非常喜欢它。
2）My brother, whom you’ve met before, is a policeman.
我的兄弟是一个警察，你以前曾经见过他。
二．结构
定语从句就像其它曾从句一样，一般都是陈述（句）结构。即：
关系代词或关系副词 + 主语 + 谓语v. + 其它
说明：当关系代词作定语从句的主语时，定语从句的结构则变为：
关系代词（即主语）+谓语v. + 其它。
三．关系代词关系副词（位置、分类、作用、选择、转换、省略、译法）
关于定语从句的关系词，要掌握其位置、分类、作用、选择、转换、省略和译法等。
㈠位置 关系词一般是放于定语从句的开头。见上面例句中的that和who。
㈡分类 关系词可分为关系代词和关系副词2大类。见下表。
㈢作用 关系词作用有2个：①引导定语从句连接 主句和从句；②代替先行词作定语从
句的一个成分。各关系词的具体用法如下：

关系词
关
系
代
词
关
系
副
词

在定语从句的作用
who 指人； 作主语或宾语
whom 指人； 作宾语
whose 指人或指物 作定语
that 指人或指物； 作主语或宾语
which 指物； 作主语或宾语
where 表地点； 作地点状语
when 表时间； 作时间状语
why 表原因； 作原因状语

㈣选择 因为关系词实质上就是代替先行词的词，因此关系词的选择依据是先行词，即< br>根据先行词①指人、指物，还是表地点、时间、原因；②逻辑上在定语从句中
作何成分。见下表：


①指人、指物，还是表地点、时间、原因
先行词 关系词
②逻辑上在定语从句中作何成分

具体例子见第四部分各例句。

㈤转换 关于关系词的转换问题见第五部分㈧的规定（主要指关系副词和关系代词的转
换）。
㈥省略 关于关系词的省略问题见第三部分㈡的规定
㈦译法 引导定语从句的关系词一般不可 按照字面翻译！一般不需要译出！（有时也可结
合先行词和定语从句翻译。）见第四部分各例。
四．各关系代词和关系副词的用法举例
1）Who’s the man ( whomthat ) we saw just now?
2）The man whothat works in the office is a math teacher?
3）Mary is the student whose handwriting is the best in our class.
4）The desk whose leg is broken is Jim’s desk.
5）This is the student whose bike Tom borrowed.
比较：This is the student whomthat Tom borrowed the bike from.
6）A bookshop is a shop thatwhich sells books.
比较：A bookshop is a shop where books are sold.
7）I’ll never forget the days when I studied there.
比较：I’ll never forget the days thatwhich were exciting.
= I’ll never forget the exciting days.
8）I want to go to a place where the weather is warm.
比较：I want to go to a place that is warm.= I want to go to a warm place.
9）We want to know the reason why he helps us.
比较：We want to know the reason thatwhich is right.
= We want to know the right reason.
五．值得注意的问题
㈠定语从句的时态和主句的时态可 以不一致，即定语从句的时态不受主句时态的限
制（这与宾语从句不同）。例如上述第四部分例1）。又 如：The man you saw
yesterday will come here again tomorrow.
㈡关系代词whom、which、that在定语从句中作宾语时 才可省略，作主语时不可省
略！其它关系词一般不可省略！见第四部分的例子。
㈢关系代词w hom、which作定语从句中介词的宾语时，有时介词可提到whom、which之前。
而关系代 词who（代替whom）、that也可作定语从句介词的宾语，但介词却不可提到who、
that 之前。
例：1）Who’s is the man (whomwhothat) you talked with just now?
=Who’s is the man with whom(who
×
,that
×
) you talked just now?

2）The room (whichthat) she lives in is a large one.
=The room in which(that
×
) she lives is a large one.
㈣关系代词who、that、which在定语从句中作主语时，定语从句的 谓语动词在人
称和数上要和先行词一致，而不是和关系代词一致！（
因为关系词实质上就是代替 先
行词的词
）
例：1）I know the girl whothat is singing.
比较：I know the girls whothat are singing.
2）In the river, there is a boat thatwhich look like a goose.
比较：In the river, there are some boats thatwhich look like geese
㈤定语从句中要避免出现与先行词、关系词在意义和作用上重复的成分。
例：1）This is the book ( that ) I like it. ×
2）This is the man whothat he helped me.. ×
3）This is the man whose his name is Bob. ×
也不可说：This is the man that his name is Bob. ×（关系词选错了，不
该用that。）
说明：以上三个例子去掉划线的词就正确了。
㈥定语从句一般都是紧挨着先行词之后，但有时在先行词和定语从句之间也会插入
其他成分。这 种情况往往在插入的成分和定语从句之间用逗号隔开。要注意理解。
例：1）There are many thousands of stars in the sky, that are(is
×
) like the sun.
2）比较：There are many nice pictures in the book, that I like.
在那本书里有许多我喜欢的漂亮图片。
≠There are many nice pictures in the book that I like.
在那本我喜欢的书里有许多漂亮图片。
㈦关系代词that与which指物时的比较
指物时两者常可通用，但下列情况不可以换用：
1. 先行词为all, something(anything, everything, nothing), few, little, many, much,
one of等不定代词时，常只可用that。
例：1）That’s all ( that ) I know.
2）Is there anything ( that ) I can do for you?
3）This is one of the presents ( that ) my friends gave me on my birthday.
2．先行词被o nly、no、any、few、little、many、much、all、just、very等修饰时，多用that。
例：1）The only thing ( that ) we can do is to wait.
2）In the book, there are no stories that are exciting.
3．先 行词是序数词、adj.最高级时，或者先行词被序数词、adj.最高级修饰时，
常只用that。
例：1）The first thing that we should do is to work out a plan.
2） This is the most interesting book ( that ) I have read.
4．先行词既有人又有物时，只可用that。
例：The writer and his book that you talked about is really well- known.
5．非限制性定语从句不可用that引导，只可用which（指人时，用who 或whom）。
见第六部分。
㈧关系副词与关系代词的转换（这实质上是也是属于先行词的选择问题）
关系代词和关系代词一般是不能直接转换的，但有时可以间接转换。

例：1）This is the house ( thatwhich ) he lives in.
=This is the house in which he lives .
=This is the house where he lives.
2）I’ll never forget the day when they came here.
=I’ll never forget the day on which they came here.
3）This is the reason why he is often late.
=This is the reason for which he is often late.

小结：关系副词（when、where、why） = 介词 + 关系代词which

㈨ 定语从句与adj.、分词、短语作定语的转换情况
定语从句有时常可与adj.、分词、短语作定语转换。
例：1）Everyone likes books that are interesting.
=Everyone likes interesting books.
2）The boy who is running is Jim.
=The running boy is Jim.
3）The boy who is running on the playground is Jim.
=The boy running on the playground is Jim.
4）The girl who is under the tree is Lucy.
= The girl under the tree is Lucy.
六．定语从句的分类
根据和主句的关系，定语从句可分为两类：限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句。
限制性定语从句是先行词不可缺少的定语，起着修饰限制作用。如果去掉，主句的意思
就会受到影响，它和主句的关系密切，一般不可用逗号与主句隔开。非限制性定语从句
是先行词的附加说 明，如果去掉，不会影响主句的意思。它和主句之间常用逗号隔开。
非限制性定语从句译成汉语时常常可 单独译成一句话。
例：1）This is the best movie that I have seen.
这是我看过的最好的一部电影。
比较：Last night, I saw a good movie, which(that
×
) was about Lei Feng.
昨天晚上，我们看了一部电影。这部电影是关于雷锋的故事。
2）She has a brother whothat is a policeman.
她有一个当警察的哥哥。（她可能不止有一个哥哥）
比较：She has a brother, who(that
×
) is a policeman.
她有一个哥哥，（他）是当警察的。（她只有一个哥哥）
【注】①非限制性定语从句不可用that引导，指人时who，whom，指物用which。
而且w ho(m), which作宾语时不可省略（见第一部分㈢例2））。
②两种定语从句的译法常常不同。
七．定语从句与同位语从句的比较：

类别
定语
从句
同位语
作用
修饰限定
说明内容
被修饰的词
逻辑上充当从句的
一个成分
逻辑上不充当从句
引导词
引导定语从句从的引导词有
who,whom,w hose,that,which,where,when,why等
8个，而且关系代词有时可以省略 。
引导同位语从句的引导词只有that（不能用

从句 的任何成分 which），when，where，which 等4个，而且没
有省略的情况。


例：1）I heard the news that was exciting.
被修饰的词the news逻辑上作从句(that）was exciting的主语。因此，that was
exciting是定语从句。
比较：I heard the news that his mother was ill.
被说明的词the news逻辑上不作从句that his mother was ill的任何成分，that his
mother was ill 是说明the news的内容。因此，that his mother was ill是the news
同位语从句。
2）I still remember the day when he first came here.
被修饰的词(on) the day逻辑上作从句(when) he first came here的时间状语。因
此，when he first came here是定语从句。
比较：I have no idea when he first came here.
被说明的词the day逻辑上不作从句(when) he first came here的任何成分，when
he first came here是说明idea的“内容”。因此，when he first came here是idea
的同位语从句。